Paris Trip

[jody.coleman]

Hi all, Im off to Paris On Wednesday for a few day,

 

Night one im near the montparnasse then remainder of stay at hilton by the champs elyse.

 

anyway. im planning on seeing the usual sights etc but am unsure which lens (of my masive collection of two) to

take.

 

My Sigma 28-300 or my Canon 18-50??? im relatively new to photography and have only really used the Sigma to

any length so far.

 

does anyone have any suggestions? and any positions for good/ different shots in paris?

 

Thankyou :-)

Joe

[jeffpolaski]

The 18-50. Paris has small streets of great interest, and it is probably the faster of the two. It will be lighter and smaller, and you'll actually be able to enjoy Paris. Get the Michelin Green Guide for Paris, and If you can fit in a vsiti to the catacombs, you'll never forget the trip. Tip a glass of vin rouge for me.

[tmcleland]

I concur with the 18-50. The wider angle will serve you well in the small, closed in Paris streets. Of course, optimally, you'd take

both, but it sounds like that's not an option. Take enough memory cards to start your own camera shop!

 

As for where to shoot, you'd have a hard time NOT being in a picturesque part of Paris. The first time I was there, my friend said

"would you look at that." My only response was "you're going to have to be more specific! The whole city looks like a postcard.

Les Invalades, and Napoleon's Tomb were cool. I don't know if it's still there, but there was a kinda groovy garden exhibit at the

Hotel De Ville. Good people watching/shooting in the Spanish Quarter. And as cliche as it is, there's just something about being

atop the Eiffel Tower.

 

Honestly, though, sometimes just a random street in Paris is the best place to shoot; seems there's just a little charm in every

street you come across. Within reason (meaning, of course be careful), Paris is a quite simply, the best "just get lost" city in the

world. No wine for me, but if you had a Cafe Noir, I wouldn't complain. ;)

 

A little tip. Mind your step...people aren't exactly diligent about picking up after their dogs.

 

Have a blast!

[tmcleland]

Oh, before I forget. If you have time (here's hoping). Versailles is about a 45 minute train ride from Gare du Norde station.

TOTALLY WORTH THE TRIP!

[matthew_newton]

I concur with Versailles being worth the trip. Check out Carcasone and Sacre Cur (I probably just spelled both of them wrong). Take the 18-50, 28mm on a crop body is going to be way to narrow to get most of the shots you will want. In cities I find myself using 24-70mm range the most frequent (full frame, so around 16-45mm on a crop body give or take) and indoors, which is what you will probably want to do a lot as well I yearn for about 50mm to as wide as possible (which is only 24mm for me right now). You'll also want as much speed as possible, if that 28-300 is slower then the 18-50 I would rule it out immediately. Most interiors are flash prohibited, and a lot of them are dark, so you will want as much speed as you can get.

[JDMvW]

If it were me, I'd take both.

 

Get very early at least one morning and walk around in the very early morning light.

 

The area from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde and on into the Tuileries to the Louvre is fantastic at that time of day. You will need to pump up the ISO at least early on.

 

Just an anthropological bit of advice. One reason Americans and French don't get along is that they are so similar and, while not overtly recognizing that fact, both dislike the similarity. First, try to speak French, even a little, before using English. Second, one difference that can make a big difference in how you are treated is that the French, especially the Parisians, are very conscious of titles. Thus, "Merci, Madame" etc. will be much more nice than a simple "Merci". If a person has a job title, use it, especially with people like concierges. The American habit of not using the titles seems abrupt and impolite.<div></div>

[jody.coleman]

Brilliant :-)

 

thankyou

 

i am definately taking the smaller lens then, will see how much room i have about the 28-300 lens.

 

Thankyou to all who have offered advice, i will have to try and see what i can about wine/coffee for you all ;-)

 

Thankyou again

 

Joe

[matthew_newton]

JDM, that has generally been my experience as well. However, I did run in to one particularly snotty waiter my first day there that insisted in trying to correct my pronounciation for an item on the menu. I managed to get it rather close on the first try, but aparently not close enough (on any of my tries). I would have thought it was nice of him to try to help me except he insisted on trying to get me to say it correctly about 5 times before I finally just pointed at the menu and said "Merci, I'd like one of those" (I hate the fact that I am not very good with learning foreign languages. Passable Spanish if you let me scratch my head and think about it a bit, abysmal in most other languages, though I am learning a little French from my wife now, but for whatever reason French is just so darned hard for me to pronounce, which I don't ususally find with most other languages). He gave up in a uff and walked off. The food was good though.

[JDMvW]

Ah, the waiters.... There is a story.....

 

Of course, try waiters in any fancy restaurant in NYC,

 

and you will appreciate my opening remark about how we hate those who remind us of our own failings.

 

There's a Simenon novel, "Maigret in New York" in which the great French detective is treated in much the same

fashion by New Yorkers. It's a fun read.

[michellemandat]

it's also that

[berg_na]

The 18-55 is definitely the right choice. I found that there are photo opportunities anywhere you go in Paris. Here're a couple of shots from Montmartre.<p>

<img src="http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/2342/parisfrommontmartrefa2.jpg"><p>

<img src="http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/347/montmartreyk8.jpg">

[jody.coleman]

Well... Been pictured, and come back (All via a rather embarasing moment in the Executive lounge at the Hilton (Eifel Tower) haha.

 

Will have to upload some of my shots a little later on (Tommorrow)

 

some good some not so good... but im happy for my first attemp at serious photography (Rather than experimenting)

[James G. Dainis]

I have found that if you learn how to say "Please'", "Thank you" and count up to three in any country's language, you can get along quite nicely.

 

My son learned French in the barracks of the French Foreign Legion. Snotty waiters soon regretted their surliness.